Movie with Abe: The Climb

The Climb
Directed by Michael Angelo Covino
Released November 13, 2020

There is a bond between best friends that others can’t quite understand, and may cause them to do things that don’t necessarily make sense to an outside observer. There is a loyalty that will make them look out for and protect each other from what they might perceive as threats, especially if they’re of a sort that the other can’t quite see or recognize. There are certain boundaries that should not be crossed, especially between best friends, and getting past an unforgivable incident doesn’t usually happen without a good deal of apologizing and work.

Mike (Michael Angelo Covino) and Kyle (Kyle Marvin) are biking in France when Mike makes sure that the less athletic Kyle is far enough behind him on a hill for Mike to tell him that he is sleeping with his fiancée. That first division in their relationship is temporarily healed by a tragedy in Mike’s life and Kyle’s family’s unwillingness to see their surrogate son wallow in sadness all by himself. A new romantic interest (Gayle Rankin) threatens to again complicate their dynamic when Mike – and most of the people in Kyle’s life – think that she is not good for him. 

This film is a delightful and pleasant comedy, one that humorously portrays the closeness of two grown men and how it plays out when things aren’t particularly easy. It works marvelously thanks to the real-life friendship between Covino, who also directs, and Marvin, who co-wrote the script with him. There’s nothing especially showy or dramatic about the way these two act, and the regular awkwardness that exists in all of their interactions feels genuine and relatable.

This film is full of laughs that seem to come about naturally, emerging from the inherent comedy in the way that people have trouble communicating and make things worse by choosing the wrong way to go about it. Predictable moments in the narrative are balanced out by completely unexpected ones, including some completely peculiar musical interludes. This film is an involving, enjoyable watch, one that indicates great things to come from this duo. Rankin is also entertaining and fits the film well, playing off the muted energy of her two male costars with considerably feistier enthusiasm. This film is a nice surprise, bringing its story full-circle while still suggesting many more antics to come, satisfying but at the same time indicative of how this story is merely an excerpt of a life full of moments and missteps.

B+